[nfb-talk] Let's Keep The Books Talking:

Mon Jun 4 13:53:08 CDT 2007

I am totally blind and I have used victor reader and I had no difficulty
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Ray Foret Jr." <rforetjr at bellsouth.net>
To: "NFB Talk Mailing List" <nfb-talk at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Monday, June 04, 2007 1:10 PM
Subject: Re: [nfb-talk] Let's Keep The Books Talking:


> Let me also remind you that you did ask what all the fuss was about.  IF 
> you
> really checked your facts, as you say you did, you would not need to ask
> that question.
>
> Sincerely yours,
> The Constantly Barefooted,
> Ray
> Home phone and fax:
> (985)853-0139
> E-mail:
> rforetjr at bellsouth.net
> Skype Name:
> barefootedray
> Blog:
> www.raysworld.blogs.com
> Podcast .rss Feed:
> http://feeds.feedburner.com/worldofray
>
> God bless President George W. Bush!
> God bless our troops!
> and God bless America
> ----- Original Message ----- 
> From: "Hope Hein" <hmhein at verizon.net>
> To: <nfb-talk at nfbnet.org>
> Sent: Monday, June 04, 2007 11:24 AM
> Subject: Re: [nfb-talk] Let's Keep The Books Talking:
>
>
> Hi Ray!
> Maybe you did not read my message clearly. I acknowledge that players are
> being made. I simply stated  that as far as I know from the information 
> that
> I have read NLS is still working on the transition to digital. Honestly I 
> am
> a little annoyed with the tone of your message to me. I do check my facts. 
> I
> called Ruth nuwsbaum reference librarian and she stated that they are 
> still
> going forward with the program to produce the players. She said that the 
> GAO
> is questioning weather commercially available players can be used. I asked
> her about the use of digital Software that can be downloaded from NLS for
> those who could use it and she said that it would be difficult for the
> senior blind to use. I agree with her observation that the players need to
> be manufactured for the senior blind or people who are not able to use
> computers. However, she then stated that the CD players and digital books
> from Recordings for the Blind are difficult for totally blind persons to
> use. I am totally !
> blind and
> I use DAISY, and have used the Bookport and TELEX Scholar with out
> difficulty. I have been using the CD's and the authorization from 
> Recordings
> for the blind for the past several years.
> Hope
>
> -----Original Message-----
> .From: "Ray Foret Jr."<rforetjr at bellsouth.net>
> .Sent: 6/3/07 5:10:13 PM
> .To: "NFB Talk Mailing List"<nfb-talk at nfbnet.org>
> .Subject: Re: [nfb-talk] Let's Keep The Books Talking:
> .
> .Hope, first of all, let's acknowledge a few simple facts here.
> .
> .1.  You and I and others on this list may possess technological know how;
> .but, as a matter of fact, many talking book readers are senior citizens 
> who
> .    a.  don't have computers.
> .    b.  can't be much bothered with them even if they had the chance to 
> get
> .one.
> .
> .2.  Most of the digital players on the market today are very menu driven.
> .The so-called "memorize and press" routine just won't work for many 
> talking
> .book readers; though it may work okay for you and me.
> .
> .3.  Even on a player which is not menu driven, the physical controls are 
> or
> .can be extremely delicate.  Such is the delicacy of some of the controls
> .that a firm press on one could cause the electronics involved to 
> misbehave.
> .I know, I went  through at least two Sony Minidisc recorders; and, on 
> each
> .one, the controls tended to give out after a while.  Blind and other 
> people
> .who have difficulty with light touch controls will have trouble with a
> .commercial player such as we have today.
> .
> .4.  You are wrong about no players being developed.  A working prototype 
> is
> .indeed in existence even now.  It's a matter now of finding and 
> contracting
> .with a firm to actually make the player; and, this is not an overnight
> .proposition.
> .
> .    May I respectfully suggest you check your facts before making such
> .assumptions as you have made in your message?
> .
> .thank you.
> .
> .Sincerely yours,
> .The Constantly Barefooted,
> .Ray
> .Home phone and fax:
> .(985)853-0139
> .E-mail:
> .rforetjr at bellsouth.net
> .Skype Name:
> .barefootedray
> .Blog:
> .www.raysworld.blogs.com
> .Podcast .rss Feed:
> .http://feeds.feedburner.com/worldofray
> .
> .God bless President George W. Bush!
> .God bless our troops!
> .and God bless America
> .----- Original Message ----- 
> .From: "Hope Hein" <hmhein at verizon.net>
> .To: <nfb-talk at nfbnet.org>
> .Sent: Sunday, June 03, 2007 2:58 PM
> .Subject: Re: [nfb-talk] Let's Keep The Books Talking:
> .
> .
> .Why can't they allow people to download books on to their Notetaker's and
> .computers digitally? They could have an authorization key or a password 
> and
> .statement like Bookshare has to ensure that only the intended recipient 
> is
> .able to access the material? For people who do not use computers they 
> could
> .have a player. The books could be in the plastic containers which would 
> fit
> .into the players.
> .
> .I do not understand what the fuss is about. I thought NLS was in the
> process
> .of creating these players and that they would be created by 2008. I do 
> not
> .remember where I read the creation of these players. What is happening?
> Have
> .they decided not to create the players?
> .Hope
> .-----Original Message-----
> ..From: "Kenneth Chrane"<kenneth.chrane at verizon.net>
> ..Sent: 6/3/07 5:26:32 AM
> ..To: "kenneth at myfreedombox.com"<kenneth at myfreedombox.com>,
> ."pmsinc at juno.com"<pmsinc at juno.com>
> ..Cc: "Multiple recipients of NFBnet NFB-Talk Mailing
> .List"<NFB-Talk at nfbnet.org>,
> ."CSDB-ALUMNI at googlegroups.com"<CSDB-ALUMNI at googlegroups.com>,
> ."peeps-talk at yahoogroups.com"<peeps-talk at yahoogroups.com>
> ..Subject: [nfb-talk] Let's Keep The Books Talking:
> ..
> ..Name: Kenneth Chrane
> ..Your email address - a copy will be sent here:
> kenneth.chrane at verizon.net -
> ..Reply
> ..Phone: (410) 486-1569 Baltimore, Maryland USA
> ..
> ..Editorial:
> ..
> ..
> ..The Washington Post
> ..
> ..Wednesday, May 30, 2007
> ..
> ..Page A12
> ..
> ..Keep the Books Talking
> ..
> ..Congress should fund the digitization of a vital audio library for the
> ..blind.
> ..
> ..A half-million Americans stand in danger of losing their public library.
> ..They are the nation's blind, and their library is Talking Books, through
> ..which
> ..the National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped of
> .the
> ..Library of Congress (NLS) provides 500,000 Americans with free audio
> ..recordings
> ..of about as many books. Unlike the "books on tape" that are sold at 
> retail
> ..bookstores, these recordings are unabridged, extensive and diverse --  
> and
> ..are
> ..designed for people who have no other way of reading print.
> ..
> ..Unfortunately, today's Talking Books technology is ready to meet its
> maker.
> ..The program currently uses half-speed audiotapes that patrons listen to 
> on
> ..special
> ..devices. These tape players, like the Talking Books record players that
> ..preceded them, are obsolete, and are no longer even being manufactured. 
> To
> ..bring
> ..the program into the 21st century, the NLS hopes to digitize its entire
> ..library and create new players. It has spent 17 years researching,
> building
> ..and
> ..testing new products, and it is ready to manufacture a fully accessible
> ..flash-drive player. The Library of Congress has asked Congress to
> ..appropriate about
> ..$76.4 million to produce the players and digitize thousands more books.
> ..
> ..A forthcoming Government Accountability Office report, however, may 
> derail
> ..the NLS's plans. In a draft version of the report completed several 
> weeks
> ..ago,
> ..the GAO faulted the NLS for not considering existing commercial products
> ..such as CD players and iPods instead of creating a new device. This 
> sounds
> ..like
> ..a reasonable concern, given tales of exorbitant government spending on
> $792
> ..doormats and $400 hammers. But creating special, noncommercial players 
> is
> ..crucial
> ..to the continued existence of Talking Books. Commercially available
> ..products, which often use visual screens and are not labeled in Braille,
> .are
> ..not accessible
> ..to the visually impaired. More important, to comply with U.S. copyright
> .law,
> ..Talking Books can record and distribute only audio books that cannot be
> ..played
> ..by commercial devices.
> ..
> ..Should the GAO keep this misguided criticism in its final report,
> lawmakers
> ..should not be swayed by it. Instead, Congress should fully fund Talking
> ..Books'
> ..digital upgrade, a project that will grant many disabled Americans the
> same
> ..literary access afforded to the sighted.
> ..
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> ..
> ..
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